Member for Burnett, Stephen Bennett has welcomed Minister Tim Mander’s announcement of a Ten Point Action Plan to reform building regulation in Queensland.
The Queensland Building Services Authority (BSA) will cease to exist when the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) is established at the end of 2013.
QBCC will be overseen by a professional governance board which will report to the Minister for Housing and Public Works. Divisions for licensing and regulation, dispute resolution and review and the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme will be firewalled form each other to ensure accountability and improve governance.
“This has been a long time coming and I congratulate Minister Mander on this announcement,” said Mr Bennett who has been a strong advocate for better building regulation since the election of the Newman Government.
“Some of the most regular complaints I receive from Burnett constituents are related to the BSA. It wasn’t just one side making complaints either; both homeowners and builders regularly expressed their dissatisfaction with the BSA. This just goes to show that the BSA wasn’t functioning properly”.
One of the earliest promises of the newly elected Newman Government was a review into the BSA. The changes announced by the State Government are the result of a Parliamentary Committee review held last year into the performance and operation of the BSA.
The review and further public consultation revealed serious shortfalls with the BSA prompting the Committee to make 41 recommendations for improvement, including a complete overhaul of the building regulator.
Other changes announced by the Government include: improved certification processes to reduce defects and subsequent QCAT disputes; introducing rapid dispute adjudication during construction; and improving licensing and contract conditions.
“The Newman Government promised to grow the building and construction sector as one of Queensland’s four pillars of economic growth. This announcement is a significant step toward fulfilling this commitment and a great result for our local building industry and homeowners”, concluded Mr Bennett
Further information on the Government’s Ten Point Action Plan for the BSA can be found by visiting the Queensland Parliament website.